Patents by Inventor Hidetaka Noguchi
Hidetaka Noguchi has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 8772722Abstract: Disclosed is a temperature sensor using a work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element that outputs, as a detecting signal of radiant rays, a work function difference between gate electrodes of first and second field-effect transistors sensing the radiant rays. The temperature sensor includes at least a pair of a first work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element having a positive output temperature coefficient; and a second work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element having a negative output temperature coefficient of which an absolute value is equal to an absolute value of the output temperature coefficient of the first work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element.Type: GrantFiled: December 21, 2010Date of Patent: July 8, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Hirofumi Watanabe
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Patent number: 8759772Abstract: An infrared sensor includes a MOSFET sensor, and a current source MOSFET which is connected to the MOSFET sensor in series and constitutes a constant current source for driving the MOSFET sensor with a constant current, wherein a terminal between the MOSFET sensor and the current source MOSFET constitutes a sensor output terminal, the MOSFET sensor is disposed on a heat-insulated structure, the current source MOSFET is disposed outside the heat-insulated structure, and the MOSFET sensor and the current source MOSFET are constituted by a same conductivity type MOSFET and operate in a subthreshold region.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2012Date of Patent: June 24, 2014Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Hirofumi Watanabe
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Patent number: 8538310Abstract: A load torque variation upon entry or exit of a sheet into a nipping portion is reduced while a nipping force necessary for image formation is provided. An image transfer apparatus, an image fixing apparatus, or a registration apparatus comprises an opposite roller, a transfer roller, and a compression spring for pressing the opposite roller onto the transfer roller. A sheet of transfer material is transported into a nipping portion between the opposite roller and the transfer roller, where an image on the opposite roller is transferred to the transfer material. The apparatus includes a retaining unit configured to retain a certain distance between the first rotating body and the second rotating body as long as the thickness of the transfer material that passes through the nipping portion remains the same.Type: GrantFiled: August 7, 2008Date of Patent: September 17, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hiromichi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hashimoto, Takashi Hodoshima, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Hidetaka Noguchi, Seiji Hoshino, Makoto Komatsu
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Patent number: 8422037Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a distance adjusting unit adjusts an inter-unit distance between a contact unit and an image carrier by moving the image carrier or the contact unit by applying an opposing force to the image carrier or the contact unit against a biasing force applied by a biasing unit based on thickness information of a recording sheet acquired by a thickness-information acquiring unit and data indicating a relationship between the thickness information and an inter-unit distance change amount stored in a data storage unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 18, 2009Date of Patent: April 16, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Takashi Hodoshima, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hashimoto, Hidetaka Noguchi, Seiji Hoshino, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Tetsuo Watanabe
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Patent number: 8385762Abstract: A transfer roller lies opposite to a supporting roller across an image carrying belt and abuts against the outer surface of the image carrying belt to form a transfer nip. A driving force transmission unit transmits driving force from a driving source to a driving roller. A drive control unit performs drive control of the driving source. A feedforward control unit performs feedforward control on the driving source via the drive control unit. An entry detecting unit detects entry of a sheet in the transfer nip. The feedforward control unit considers an entry detection signal output by the entry sensor as a trigger for performing feedforward control after a predetermined time.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2009Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto
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Patent number: 8364071Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a pair of upstream rollers and a pair of downstream rollers each including a drive roller and a driven roller, a calculating unit, and a control unit. The upstream rollers include a measuring unit that obtains speed information of the upstream rollers. The calculating unit calculates a target value based on the speed information. The control unit controls the speed of the drive roller of the downstream rollers based on the target value.Type: GrantFiled: March 21, 2008Date of Patent: January 29, 2013Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hodoshima, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Hiromichi Matsuda, Makoto Komatsu, Takashi Hashimoto
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Patent number: 8254811Abstract: An image-carrier driving unit drives an image carrier. An image forming unit forms an image on the image carrier. A moving-member driving unit drives a moving member that is movable towards and away from the image carrier. A detecting unit detects a position of the moving member at predetermined sampling times while the moving member is moving. A movement control unit performs a feedback control on the moving-member driving unit such that a detection result of the detecting unit follows a target value corresponding to each of the predetermined sampling times when the moving member moves while the image forming unit is forming the image on the image carrier.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2009Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitiedInventors: Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hashimoto, Takashi Hodoshima, Hidetaka Noguchi, Seiji Hoshino, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Tetsuo Watanabe
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Publication number: 20120181430Abstract: An infrared sensor includes a MOSFET sensor, and a current source MOSFET which is connected to the MOSFET sensor in series and constitutes a constant current source for driving the MOSFET sensor with a constant current, wherein a terminal between the MOSFET sensor and the current source MOSFET constitutes a sensor output terminal, the MOSFET sensor is disposed on a heat-insulated structure, the current source MOSFET is disposed outside the heat-insulated structure, and the MOSFET sensor and the current source MOSFET are constituted by a same conductivity type MOSFET and operate in a subthreshold region.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2012Publication date: July 19, 2012Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hidetaka NOGUCHI, Hirofumi WATANABE
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Patent number: 8165498Abstract: An image forming device is disclosed that is able to enlarge a gap of a nipping portion with a simple and inexpensive structure, and able to reduce impact when a front end of a recording sheet runs into or a back end of the recording sheet passes through the nipping portion. The image forming device includes an image carrying unit, an image forming unit, a transfer unit, a conveyance unit, a determination unit that determines whether a thickness of the recording sheet is greater than a threshold value, and a cam member that rotates to enlarge or reduce the gap of the nipping portion between the image carrying unit and the transfer unit according to rotational positions of the cam member. When the thickness of the recording sheet is greater than the threshold, the cam member rotates so that the gap of the nipping portion is enlarged.Type: GrantFiled: August 25, 2008Date of Patent: April 24, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Seiji Hoshino, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Takashi Hashimoto, Hidetaka Noguchi, Tatsuhiko Oikawa
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Publication number: 20120061569Abstract: A thermal infrared sensor includes an infrared ray absorbing film that is thermally separated from a semiconductor substrate by a hollow part; and a temperature sensor configured to detect temperature changes of the infrared ray absorbing film. The infrared ray absorbing film includes an infrared ray antireflection structure configured with a sub wavelength structure, the infrared ray antireflection structure being provided on a surface of the infrared ray absorbing film facing the semiconductor substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2011Publication date: March 15, 2012Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Hidetaka Noguchi
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Patent number: 8131173Abstract: A driving apparatus includes a driving unit, a driven unit driven by the driving unit, a driving control unit configured to control the driving unit by performing feed-forward control based on feed-forward target data determined in advance to reduce a speed change of the driven unit. The speed change of the driven unit is expressed substantially as a positive half cycle of a sinusoidal waveform having an amplitude and a time duration, and the feed-forward target data is calculated from the amplitude and the time duration to represent a rectangular waveform approximating the positive half cycle of the sinusoidal waveform.Type: GrantFiled: December 8, 2008Date of Patent: March 6, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Takashi Hashimoto
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Patent number: 8126387Abstract: A fluctuation detecting unit detects a fluctuation of an endless belt generated when a sheet is brought into contact with a predetermined position of the endless belt at an upstream side in a conveying direction from a nip portion based on fluctuation information acquired by a fluctuation information acquiring unit. An entry timing estimating unit estimates entry timing of the sheet into the nip portion based on a detection of the fluctuation. A correction control unit corrects a speed fluctuation of the endless belt generated when the sheet enters the nip portion by performing a feedforward control of a first driving unit based on the entry timing.Type: GrantFiled: May 28, 2008Date of Patent: February 28, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Seiji Hoshino, Hiromichi Matsuda, Makoto Komatsu, Takashi Hashimoto
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Patent number: 8087670Abstract: A second rotary member is arranged opposite to a first rotary member to form a nip between them. A driving unit drives the first rotary member. A sheet-width measuring unit measures a width of a sheet to be fed into the nip. A speed compensating unit compensates a fluctuation of a rotation speed of the first rotary member occurring when the sheet is fed into the nip. The speed compensating unit adjusts a compensation target value for compensating the fluctuation of the rotation speed of the first rotary member based on the width of the sheet measured by the sheet-width measuring unit.Type: GrantFiled: February 5, 2009Date of Patent: January 3, 2012Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto, Tatsuhiko Oikawa
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Patent number: 8010027Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer belt, a first pressure member, a second pressure member, and an adjustable tension member. The image transfer belt is trained around multiple rollers for rotation along an endless belt travel path to convey an image for transfer to a recording sheet. The first pressure member is disposed on an outer surface of the image transfer belt. The second pressure member is disposed on an inner surface of the image transfer belt opposite the first pressure member. The first and second pressure members define an image transfer gap therebetween. The adjustable tension member is disposed on the image transfer belt adjacent the image transfer gap to adjust tension on the image transfer belt when the recording sheet enters and exits the image transfer gap.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2009Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Takashi Hodoshima, Toshiyuki Andoh, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto, Hidetaka Noguchi
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Patent number: 7971878Abstract: A sheet conveying device includes a torque estimation unit that, based upon a first load torque generated at a time that a sheet-like member passes through a first nip between a first driving roller and a first driven roller of an upstream sheet conveying unit, estimates a second load torque generated at a time that the sheet-like member passes through a second nip between a second driving roller and a second driven roller of a downstream sheet conveying unit; and a control unit that controls the driving torque such that the second load torque is counterbalanced by applying a counterbalancing torque in synchronization with a timing of entry of the sheet-like member into the second nip.Type: GrantFiled: February 6, 2009Date of Patent: July 5, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company, LimitedInventors: Takashi Hashimoto, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Hidetaka Noguchi, Tatsuhiko Oikawa
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Publication number: 20110155913Abstract: Disclosed is a temperature sensor using a work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element that outputs, as a detecting signal of radiant rays, a work function difference between gate electrodes of first and second field-effect transistors sensing the radiant rays. The temperature sensor includes at least a pair of a first work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element having a positive output temperature coefficient; and a second work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element having a negative output temperature coefficient of which an absolute value is equal to an absolute value of the output temperature coefficient of the first work-function-difference-based radiant-ray detecting element.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 21, 2010Publication date: June 30, 2011Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.Inventors: Hidetaka NOGUCHI, Hirofumi Watanabe
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Patent number: 7871073Abstract: A sheet conveying device, that can be included in an image forming apparatus, includes a drive source, a drive roller driven by the drive source, a driven roller to press against the drive roller and rotate with the drive roller, an angular velocity detector to detect an angular velocity of the drive roller, a timing estimation unit to estimate a timing when a sheet-type recording medium enters between the drive roller and the driven roller, and a controller to control the drive source based on detection results obtained by the angular velocity detector. The controller includes a feedback control unit to perform feedback control based on data obtained by the angular velocity detector, and a feed-forward control unit to perform feed-forward control based on data obtained by the timing estimation unit.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2007Date of Patent: January 18, 2011Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Hiromichi Matsuda, Toshiyuki Andoh
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Publication number: 20100054781Abstract: A transfer roller lies opposite to a supporting roller across an image carrying belt and abuts against the outer surface of the image carrying belt to form a transfer nip. A driving force transmission unit transmits driving force from a driving source to a driving roller. A drive control unit performs drive control of the driving source. A feedforward control unit performs feedforward control on the driving source via the drive control unit. An entry detecting unit detects entry of a sheet in the transfer nip. The feedforward control unit considers an entry detection signal output by the entry sensor as a trigger for performing feedforward control after a predetermined time.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2009Publication date: March 4, 2010Inventors: Hidetaka Noguchi, Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hodoshima, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto
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Publication number: 20100046991Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image transfer belt, a first pressure member, a second pressure member, and an adjustable tension member. The image transfer belt is trained around multiple rollers for rotation along an endless belt travel path to convey an image for transfer to a recording sheet. The first pressure member is disposed on an outer surface of the image transfer belt. The second pressure member is disposed on an inner surface of the image transfer belt opposite the first pressure member. The first and second pressure members define an image transfer gap therebetween. The adjustable tension member is disposed on the image transfer belt adjacent the image transfer gap to adjust tension on the image transfer belt when the recording sheet enters and exits the image transfer gap.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 28, 2009Publication date: February 25, 2010Inventors: Takashi Hodoshima, Toshiyuki Andoh, Seiji Hoshino, Takashi Hashimoto, Hidetaka Noguchi
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Publication number: 20090220277Abstract: An image-carrier driving unit drives an image carrier. An image forming unit forms an image on the image carrier. A moving-member driving unit drives a moving member that is movable towards and away from the image carrier. A detecting unit detects a position of the moving member at predetermined sampling times while the moving member is moving. A movement control unit performs a feedback control on the moving-member driving unit such that a detection result of the detecting unit follows a target value corresponding to each of the predetermined sampling times when the moving member moves while the image forming unit is forming the image on the image carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 24, 2009Publication date: September 3, 2009Inventors: Toshiyuki Andoh, Takashi Hashimoto, Takashi Hodoshima, Hidetaka Noguchi, Seiji Hoshino, Tatsuhiko Oikawa, Tetsuo Watanabe